Blumea lacera is a common weed of Indian fields, bunds and wasteland, a hairy little aster with a sharp smell of camphor. It pops up in winter crops and fallow ground. It is a familiar weed rather than a kitchen green, and it is easy to recognise once you have smelled it.
- Botanical name
- Blumea lacera (Burm.f.) DC.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Tamil
- Narakkarandai
- Hindi
- Kukronda
- Parts used
- None as food
- Habit
- Camphor weed; not a keerai
- Last updated
- 2026-10-25
How to recognise Blumea
It is an upright annual, usually knee-high or less, with soft, hairy, toothed leaves. The lower leaves are often lobed.
Small yellow flower heads, without petals, grow in clusters at the top of the stems.
It flowers mainly from winter into spring, when the yellow heads stand out along field margins and bunds.
Crush a leaf and you get a strong camphor-like scent, which is the most reliable field test.
Blumea balsamifera, the ngai camphor shrub of Southeast Asia, is much larger and woodier.
Traditional use of Blumea
Folk practice
The leaves have been used in Indian and Southeast Asian folk practice, mostly as a smoke or wash, and the plant has been burnt to repel insects.
South Asian folk practice
Modern notes on Blumea
The camphor-like smell comes from essential oils, including fenchone and cineole, described in phytochemical studies. No clinical use has been established.
Agronomists know it as a common weed of winter crops such as wheat, mustard and pulses.
Blumea safety
Do not eat it. Concentrated essential oils can irritate skin and are toxic if swallowed.
Ecology and sourcing
It is native across tropical Asia, Africa and Australia, and it thrives on disturbed ground, field edges and roadsides.
Its small seeds have a tuft of hairs and blow easily, so it spreads quickly across cultivated land.
Related plants
Also in Asteraceae
Questions about Blumea
Is Blumea a keerai?
No. It is a weed, not a leafy green.
Why does Blumea smell of camphor?
Its leaves contain camphor-like essential oils.
Is Blumea the same as ngai camphor?
No. Ngai camphor is Blumea balsamifera, a larger shrub.
Is Blumea harmful to crops?
It competes with winter crops for water and nutrients, so farmers weed it out early.
Sources
- Blumea lacera (Burm.f.) DC. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q13114345 (Blumea lacera)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.